The Cost of Escaping from a No-Code Editor

In November, Framer made changes to its pricing model, and despite their communication, it led to a price increase for many users. As you can imagine, this has caused quite a stir. For me, as a Central European, the removal of purchase power parity and the increase in locale (multi-language) prices have already doubled my operating costs. One common response to these price hikes is “voting with your wallet” and switching to another no-code editor that offers site export functionality. While Framer doesn’t provide this option, both Webflow and YCode do. But let’s break down what this actually means.

The Essence of No-Code Builders

No-code builders like Framer are made to simplify site building and management, especially for those who aren't developers. They provide an easy, integrated ecosystem where everything works together. However, this convenience comes with a catch—you’re somewhat "locked" into their platform. While this makes things easier, it can become risky if unexpected changes, like price hikes, come along.

A Look Through My Own Sites

As someone from the design industry, not development, I understand what’s needed to run a website but wouldn’t know how to install a WordPress site. I’m mentioning this because, in this post, I’ll be comparing two of my own websites. The first is the site you’re reading right now, a small CMS-based site. The second is a much larger client site, with many CMS elements and pages, Tabuk Villaja.

What Would Happen to My Sites if I Worked in Webflow?

Back in November, I would have been happy because Webflow’s price advantage increased with Framer’s price hike. But last week, they made changes too, so my happiness didn’t last long. But that's a topic for another post.

Webflow allows me to export my site’s code (available only with a paid workspace plan), including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, so I could move it to another host. However, there are some limitations. The exported code doesn’t include Webflow’s CMS functionality, e-commerce tools, or dynamic content. This means that if I wanted to use it elsewhere, I’d likely need to rebuild some features with the help of a developer, and I’d lose the convenience Webflow offers in terms of content management.

What Would Happen if My Sites Were in YCode?

YCode is one of the most frequently mentioned alternatives to Framer, and it suspiciously resembles Framer in many ways. Unlike Webflow, YCode does allow you to export the CMS, which is a huge advantage. The export gives you HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and CMS data, and it even helps you understand the environment you need to run the site (like Laravel PHP, Tailwind CSS, PostgreSQL)—which is really useful.

However, site export isn’t free. While YCode is affordable for now, there’s no guarantee they won’t raise their prices in the future. The export fees could even be as high as rebuilding the site entirely, especially considering the advanced tools and flexibility they offer.

This is how much I would have to pay YCode to export those sites:

Export costs for It's Baked (14 pages, 2 CMSs, 3 forms) = $1,050

Export cost for Tabuk Villaja (43 pages, 10 CMSs, 8 forms) = $3,550 (This is actually equivalent to 9 years of Framer’s running cost changes!)

Conclusion

As a typical no-code user, I’d struggle to keep a site running without developer support. While Webflow offers free code export, YCode charges for it, but in both cases, I’d lose the business advantages I offer clients who chose no-code tools for their ease of use. Ultimately, switching to another tool may seem like an escape, but it often leads to rebuilding the site entirely.

It would actually be great if Framer offered an export feature, even if it were paid.